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Story highlights

James Everett Dutschke is accused of sending ricin-tainted letters to Obama and others

He has denied the allegations in federal court

Dutschke ran for political office and has had variety of jobs

He has been accused of molesting three girls under the age of 16

The nation knows James Everett Dutschke as the man accused of sending ricin-tainted letters to President Barack Obama and two other officials.

But to people who live near him, he's the guy whose alleged abuse of young girls turned their neighborhood upside down, according to one neighbor. And to a former coworker, he's the "genius" with a few odd quirks.

Exactly who Dutschke is and why he might have taken the extreme step of sending toxic letters to Obama, a Mississippi senator and an official in Lee County, Mississippi, remained up in the air Monday as prosecutors began criminal proceedings against him for allegedly making the deadly toxin ricin and sending it through the mail.

However, through court documents and conversations with people who knew him, a clearer picture is starting to emerge.

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Dutschke appears to have a wide range of interests and has held a variety of jobs, most recently working as a martial arts instructor at a Tupelo, Mississippi, studio he ran.

He once worked at an insurance company owned by the brother of a man initially arrested -- and then cleared -- in the same case in which Dutschke is now charged.

According to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal newspaper, he is a musician.

Dutschke has registered several business ventures with state officials, all of which appear to be closed, according to a Mississippi Secretary of State database.

In 2007, he ran as a Republican for a state House seat against incumbent Democrat Rep. Steve Holland and lost 68% to 27%. Holland is the son of Lee County Judge Sadie Holland, who received one of the ricin-laced letters.

"We just want to move on," Holland told CNN, adding that he wanted justice for his mother.

"This could have been devastating. Mom could have died had this taken the worst-case scenario."

In 2008, Dutschke ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for election commissioner in Lee County, according to the Daily Journal newspaper.